Inuit-owned Arctic Fresh secures major federal government contract in Iqaluit

Canada has awarded a $35.6 million contract to an Inuit-owned company to build a new federal staff housing complex in Iqaluit. The build will feature 23 new residential units and is being built by Arctic Fresh Projects Inc. This project is one of the first contracts awarded under the federal government’s Buy Canadian policy and will primarily use Canadian made steel, aluminum, and lumber. Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement, Jöel Lightbound was in Iqaluit Tuesday for the announcement. He said the policy is part of a broader effort to strengthen Canada’s economy as more threats are being made south of the boarder. “We’ve been very focused on what we can do to shore [up]the Canadian economy to build resiliency in our supply chains and in our economy,” he said. “Buy Canadian is very much a part of that.” The new complex will replace three aging single-family homes on federal land with 23 two and three-bedroom units for federal employees to open up more homes in Nunavut’s Capital city. “I think we’ve been very focused from the very beginning when we decided to move forward with building more units for, in this case, federal employees here in Nunavut. That will reduce the pressure on the housing market In Iqaluit,” Lightbound said. The build will be in addition to another 750 homes to be built in Nunavut under an agreement between the federal and territorial governments, along with Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated. The federal government says construction is expected to create up to 55 jobs over the next two years. Construction is expected to be completed by December 2028. Continue Reading